Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee conditions, tinnitus, and allergic rhinitis. Service connection was granted for PTSD with a rating of 50%.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it did not manifest during active duty and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure. The tinnitus, however, may be related to the Veteran's military service.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted based on the Veteran's report of its onset during his time in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions had their onset during active duty service due to acoustic trauma from playing the tuba.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus has been dismissed. The Board also indicated that additional development is needed for his claims of service connection for a right shoulder disorder and entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's initial schedular rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder with insomnia and adjustment disorder (depression) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will provide new opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The claims of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to unreliable test results from previous VA examinations. The Veteran's spouse reported that the Veteran had become almost totally deaf in his right ear after being denied benefits, indicating possible functional impact.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, but his current hearing loss is not service-connected due to lack of a significant threshold shift beyond normal variability while in service. Service connection for tinnitus was granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus and generalized anxiety disorder are granted service connection. The hearing loss claim is remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is not a nexus between his currently diagnosed tinnitus and his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted, with the condition that it became manifest in service and has persisted since.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus was reopened. Service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss is granted, while right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection as they are related to noise exposure in service.,The Veteran's depression has also been granted service connection, with the opinion stating it is aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

Service connection for hearing loss has been reconsidered and reopened.,Service connection for hypertension was denied.,Service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is granted with an effective date of August 20, 2003.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted but the effective date is earlier than November 6, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person, thus denying an increased level of SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected disabilities make it impossible for him to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.